Bumblebee

Continuity:

Alternate Name:

Japanese Name:

Affiliation:

Function:

Espionage

Alternate Mode:

Volkswagen

Bumblebee is one of the smallest and physically weakest Autobots. While his stature allows him to do his job better than most Autobots could manage, he is self-conscious about his size. Maybe this is why he makes fast friends among the humans. He looks up (so to speak) to the other Autobots, especially Optimus Prime, but what he doesn't realize is that they look up to him. He may be small, but he's brave, and he's one of the most well-liked Autobots around. Bumblebee already has the respect he craves. But the poor bot seems to get kidnapped a lot. Bumblebee is the Autobot's spy and scout. His talents involve espionage.

As Goldbug—, or still Bumblebee, his rebuilt and "matured" form—Bumblebee retains most of his earlier strengths and weaknesses, but crippling need for approval. (This is true of some "matured" versions of Bumblebee without new names or bodies, as well, but is quite markedly associated with the change to Goldbug).

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel Generation One comics

Four million years ago, Optimus Prime led a crew of Autobots including Bumblebee aboard the Ark to clear a path through an asteroid belt for Cybertron to pass through. Once their objective was completed, they were attacked by Decepticons and both their ships crashed in a volcanic mountain on a primitive planet known as Earth. In 1984, the volcano (Mount Saint Hilary) erupted, awakening their ship, which rebuilt them. Bumblebee was reconfigured to transform into a yellow Volkswagen Beetle. The Transformers

Prowl led a mission into a human city to investigate their new world. Bumblebee, anxious to be the first to meet the planet's inhabitants, rear-ended a car full of teenagers at a drive-in movie theater. Before he could introduce himself, he was under attack by Decepticons and damaged badly. One of the teenagers, Buster Witwicky, brought the car back to his father's auto repair shop. Bumblebee weakly pleaded to them to fix him, for he was dying. Buster's father, Sparkplug Witwicky, fixed Bumblebee and offered to help the Autobots convert their native fuel resources into a form that Transformers could use. Bumblebee took Buster with him back towards the Ark to relay this message. Power Play!

RARR! BUMBLEBEE SMAAAAAAASH!

After a seemingly final battle with the Decepticons, the long-lost Decepticon Shockwave arrived and reversed the Autobots' victory with a single blast. The Last Stand! Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots were kept captive aboard the Ark until Ratchet managed to free the Ark from Decepticon control and repair them. DIS-Integrated Circuits! However, Buster had been entrusted with safeguarding the Creation Matrix, which the Decepticons discovered, so Bumblebee and Bluestreak were sent to protect him. Buster was attacked by the Decepticons' newly-built but lifeless Jetfire. Bumblebee and Bluestreak did their best to defend Buster, but it was Buster's use of the powers of the Creation Matrix which saved them all, disassembling Jetfire in mid-air. Bumblebee removed Jetfire's brain so Buster could reassemble and remote-control the body with his mind. Brainstorm!

After the Creation Matrix was returned to a restored Optimus Prime, he was still somewhat disconcerted by his ordeal. When the Decepticon spy Ravage was briefly captured, only to escape again, Bumblebee saw how much this troubled his already upset leader and took it upon himself to chase down and capture the fleeing spy. Unfortunately, he got in over his head and was captured by Soundwave's Decepticons after being led into a box canyon. In order to show the Autobots they meant business, Soundwave had Laserbeak deliver Bumblebee's severed arm to the Ark as a message. Soundwave had learned from Ravage how low Prime's self-confidence was at that juncture, and planned to lure the despondent Autobot leader to his death. Instead, kidnapping Bumblebee just pissed Prime off, and he single-handedly bashed and battered his way through the entire Decepticon front, rescuing Bumblebee and restoring his confidence in the process. Crisis of Command!

During the Dinobot Hunt, Bumblebee went to Alaska with Optimus and Ratchet to reinforce the unit trying to overcome the rampaging Dinobots, Grimlock and Sludge. While scouting the perimeter, Bumblebee was shocked to discover a cloaked Autobot shuttlecraft and three of his comrades who had gone missing earlier in the Hunt. He also discovered a Decepticon-issue sonic lance (that was being used to drive Sludge "berserker mad") installed in the ship. Rightly suspecting a booby trap, instead of just turning the device off, Bumblebee instead evacuated his comrades and got a good distance away from the ship before using his gun to blow up the sonic lance. Good call — the shuttlecraft exploded violently the moment he did so. Dinobot Hunt

When the Autobots took steps to fill out their ranks, Bumblebee was charged with giving four new recruits (Hoist, Skids, Smokescreen, and Tracks) a tour of the planet. Bumblebee decided a Brick Springhorn concert would be a good destination, but the Decepticons had sabotaged the event to harvest energon. Bumblebee disobeyed orders and led the four into battle, saving the concert. Rock and Roll-Out! When Robot-Master appeared on television and claimed to control the Transformers, it was Bumblebee's job to ask their human business parter, G.B. Blackrock what the deal was. Robot-Master broadcast next in a coal mine next to a de-energized Megatron, but before Bumblebee and several other Autobots could investigate, they were pushed away by overwhelming Earth military forces. I, Robot-Master!

This event caused Bumblebee to question his usefulness to the Autobots, and he abandoned them without a word. The Decepticons, however, saw much use for him and attempted to apprehend him. Hiding in a used car lot, he was stolen by two humans, whom he adopted for a while. The Decepticons did not relent, and Bumblebee was ultimately rescued by the rest of the Autobots, an act which reminded him how valuable he was to them. Plight of the Bumblebee!

Due to conflicting circumstances, Bumblebee was damaged and rebuilt into a stronger but similar form—Goldbug. Goldbug and Blaster were ordered by the new Autobot leader, Grimlock, to track down the Mechanic, who had stolen Autobot technology from the Ark. Grimlock was a terrible leader and had no regard for human life, so both Goldbug and Blaster exiled themselves from his command. Mechanical Difficulties! Goldbug and Blaster found themselves in the desert of the American Southwest and, thanks to a run-in with the Decepticon Triple Changers, were infested with the disease known as Scraplets. Goldbug and his human friend Charlie Fong left to get help and possibly a cure, but Blaster believed Goldbug had abandoned him to die. Crater Critters Near death himself, Goldbug arrived with Charlie at a gas station, where they met up with the Throttlebots, sent from Cybertron by Ratbat and armed with acid to contain the disease. Goldbug narrowly escaped extermination when it was discovered that the cure for Scraplets was none other than ordinary water. Goldbug called industrialist G.B. Blackrock (on a pay phone), and Blackrock trucked in tanks of water himself. Blaster was cured and his trust in Goldbug was restored. The Cure!

Goldbug finished his evolution into his own character model by the time the Throttlebots showed up. He kept Bumblebee's colors, though.

With the Throttlebots joining Goldbug and Blaster on their travels, the group discovered that the bodies of Galvatron and Ultra Magnus had been found. While they initially intended to let the Combaticons destroy Galvatron, they were forced to intervene to save human lives. Ladies' Night This unfortunately attracted the wrath of the Combaticons. The group found refuge in a used car lot owned by Big Steve. However, they were all badly in need of fuel. They attempted a deal with Big Steve, but he double-crossed them, filling them up with soda pop instead of gasoline. It was then that the Protectobot caught up with them, followed by the Combaticons. During the ensuing battle, the immobilized Throttlebots (including Goldbug) were carted away by the humans' anti-robot organization, RAAT. Used Autobots

Goldbug and the captured Throttlebots were interrogated by Triple-I, who eventually had their bodies crushed in a pointless threat to stop Decepticon raids. However, their brain modules were transplanted by Walter Barnett into remote-control cars owned by his son, who sought out Goldbug's old friend Buster at Goldbug's suggestion. After being attacked by the Predacons and separated from the others, Goldbug and Buster traveled to Mount St. Hilary and found the Ark gone. Using equipment left behind, Goldbug and Buster sent a distress call, just before Ratbat revealed he'd tagged along and crushed the Autobot's toy car body. Toy Soldiers!

Arriving in response to his distress call, the Autobot Headmasters rescued Goldbug's shattered form, Chromedome patching into his circuits to ease the pain of retelling the attack and capture of Buster. Trial by Fire!. Taken back to their ship, Brainstorm built him a new body identical to his Throttlebot form. Goldbug used it on a mission that led to the discovery that Optimus Prime's mind was recorded on floppy disk and served as his leader's eyes in commanding the Autobot Pretenders. Pretender to the Throne!

Goldbug championed the reconstruction of his former leader's body, until his present allies suggested contacting the Ark to seek the resources to do it. Goldbug was quickly imprisoned by Grimlock, but this allowed him to convince Blaster to fight the Dinobot. After the Decepticons attacked during the pair's duel, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug to take the Steelhaven and its skeleton crew back to Nebulos to rebuild Optimus Prime. Totaled!

Arriving on Nebulos, Goldbug and the others were successful in rebuilding Optimus Prime despite the planet's now-toxic fuel. Goldbug avoided having to undergo the Powermaster process to survive like the other Autobots due to his high fuel efficiency. People Power! On the journey back, Optimus and Goldbug investigated word of Sky Lynx starring in the Cosmic Carnival, eventually rescuing the Autobot and his young human companions. The Cosmic Carnival!

Goldbug was later destroyed by the Underbase-powered Starscream in New York. Dark Star! Goldbug was repaired by Ratchet using Pretender technology...sort of. Instead of simply restoring Goldbug, Ratchet rebuilt him as a much larger Bumblebee All the Familiar Faces!, explaining that he'd always preferred Bumblebee's original form. Before they could discuss it further, Bumblebee had to help Jazz and Grimlock against Megatron and his minions. While the new Pretenders defeated the other Decepticons, Ratchet seemingly sacrificed himself to destroy Megatron and his base. Skin Deep

Afterward, the three Pretenders briefly joined the Autobot resistance movement on Cybertron. Thanks to his increased stature, Bumblebee experienced a big boost of confidence as he and the others rejuvenated the resistance. In response, Thunderwing ordered the Mayhem Attack Squad to assassinate them. As Bumblebee, Jazz, Grimlock and the Rescue Patrol prepared to teleport to Earth, the three Decepticons attacked Autobase, sabotaging the trans-time dimensional portal. All nine Transformers found themselves teleported into the heart of Cybertron, where the Autobots discovered the resting place of Primus. Yesterday's Heroes!

There, they encountered the Keeper and learned the secret origin of the Transformers, as well as of Primus's never-ending battle with Unicron. As the Keeper's tale ended, the Mayhem Attack Squad found the Autobots. Their initial attack destroyed the Keeper, but Bumblebee and the others handily defeated them. However, a stray blast woke Primus seconds before the repaired portal sent the Transformers back to Earth. Primal Scream

With Unicron undoubtedly on his way to devour Cybertron, Bumblebee and his fellow Pretenders embarked on a quest to find the lost Creation Matrix. The three traveled to VsQs, the last known location of Optimus Prime's funeral barge, to search for clues. Finding an abandoned science station, Bumblebee searched through its computer records. He confirmed that the scientists had found Prime's body and the Matrix, but also a strange creature that promptly attacked one of the scientists. Before they could investigate further, Thunderwing attacked, also seeking the Matrix. Bumblebee used his Pretender shell to combat the Decepticon, only for Thunderwing to destroy it. The feedback temporarily knocked Bumblebee unconscious, and it seemed Thunderwing would destroy all three Autobots, until the Matrix Spawn attacked. While Thunderwing pursued the creature, Bumblebee and the other Autobots searched the science station for the Matrix. They recovered it, but were so low on Energon that they were becoming unable to compensate for the moon's heavy gravity. While they were attempting to reach their shuttle, Thunderwing overtook them, seizing the Matrix and leaving them for dead. Dark Creation Fortunately for Bumblebee, the Autobots sent a shuttle to rescue him and the others before they entered final shutdown. Eye of the Storm!

Bumblebee survived the war with Unicron, and was one of many Autobots left on Cybertron afterwards. Exodus!

Earthforce

Note:These stories do not fit into the normal Marvel continuity. See Earthforce for details.

When Optimus Prime left Grimlock in charge of protecting Earth, Bumblebee signed up for the new "Earthforce" along with many of his long-time comrades. Break-Away! After Prowl disappeared while riding an atmosphere-destroying missile through the stratosphere (long story), Bumblebee and Ironhide went looking for him. They picked up a set of Transformer life signs on a small island in the Bahamas, and took some speeder bikes to investigate. Instead of Prowl, what they found was a massive reconstructed version of Devastator, half-finished as the Constructicons attempted to recreate their combined form as an independent super-warrior. Luckily, Bumblebee had Ironhide along to disable the automated defense ring protecting the Devastator project, and they were able to destroy "him" before the Constructicons could activate their creation. Desert Island Risks!

Later, Bumblebee joined Jazz, Ironhide and Sunstreaker in infiltrating the Decepticon Enclave. Fearing an alliance between the two Decepticon factions would be bad news for the Autobots, Ironhide conceived a plan to throw a spanner into the proceedings. Using an unconscious Headstrong as a patsy, the Autobots staged a sniper shot at Megatron. When Megatron and his Decepticons unleashed their firepower at the rocks where the shot supposedly came from, Jazz and Bumblebee tossed down Headstrong's body, leading Megatron to conclude Shockwave had tried to have him killed. The peace talks quickly went downhill from there. The Bad Guys' Ball!

Bumblebee was present when Wheeljack showcased his brand-new defense grid to successfully protect Autobot Earthbase. Unfortunately, Wheels forgot that, once activated, the defense system could only be deactivated from inside the base...behind the various laser cannons and heat-seekers and Acidbats he had turned on. While Prowl ran the gauntlet to reach the control center, Bumblebee and Jazz watched his back, drawing fire and disabling what defenses they could. The House that Wheeljack Built! Later, Bumblebee and several other Autobots went in pursuit of Motormaster of the Stunticons, who had kidnapped their human ally, Irwin Spoon. Weaving their way through the various Stunticons who got in the way, Bumblebee and Tracks finally managed to trick two of Motormaster's own thugs into running him off the road themselves, giving Bumblebee a chance to rip off his cab door and retrieve Spoon. End of the Road!

Conflicting Goldbug origins

Ain't variant continuity FUN?!

In G.I. Joe and the Transformers, Bumblebee was destroyed by G.I. Joe due to a misunderstanding. They later rebuilt him as Goldbug with help from Ratchet. However, Marvel UK did not initially print the crossover, so an alternate origin for Goldbug was conceived. In the pages of the UK comic, Bumblebee was destroyed by a time-traveling Death's Head and repaired by a time-traveling Wreck-Gar. (The Marvel Joe/TF crossover was published in the UK towards the end of the series.) The conflicting origins for Goldbug is the single largest difference between the American and British Marvel Transformers comics; most everything else kinda sorta meshes together, if you squint.

Marvel Generation 2 comic

A friendly game of Bumblebowling, honest

Years after the battle on Klo, and the Autobots had returned to a renewed Cybertron, Bumblebee received a distress signal from G.I. Joe on Earth, notifying them of Megatron's return. He passed this information on to Optimus Prime. Goin' South He also accompanied Prime and a team of Autobots to an unnamed planet home to an ancient civilization which reportedly stored a cache of superweapons, and battled the Decepticons there until a monstrous native scared them away. Ghosts

The Transformers cartoon

After pilfering energy conductors with Wheeljack, Bumblebee boarded the Ark with several other Autobots under the leadership of Optimus Prime to search for energy. After Decepticons attacked the Ark, Bumblebee, along with the battle's participants and their two ships, crash landed on Earth 4 million years ago. They all laid dormant until 1984 when the Ark's computers were shaken alive as the volcano it crashed into erupted. Bumblebee was rebuilt to transform into a Volkswagen Beetle. More Than Meets the Eye, Part 1 After befriending the humans Spike Witwicky and his father Sparkplug after a Decepticon attack on an oil rig More Than Meets the Eye, Part 2, Bumblebee was part of the team of Autobots sent to stop Megatron and the Decepticons from overpowering Sherman Dam. Bumblebee helped Ironhide carve out a new riverbed for the raging waters, saving a nearby neighborhood from being flooded. Such acts were one of the earliest that helped endear the Autobots to the humans. More Than Meets the Eye, Part 3

During the Decepticon development of their Space Bridge program, Megatron captured Bumblebee and altered a bank of his memory circuits to lure the Autobots into a trap. Bumblebee recovered in time to alert the Autobots to the true location of the Space Bridge. Transport to Oblivion

Bumblebee appeared very rarely afterwards (but at least he had survived the movie!!!), although he was stationed on Earth at Metroplex for a time, apparently under Blaster's command. He was present when Scourge and Starscream's ghost came to Metroplex in an attempt to steal the giant's eyes for Unicron. When the Decepticons' invasion set the city on red alert, Bumblebee and Spike teamed up to search the complex for the attackers, just like old times. Running across Scourge in Metroplex's brain, they managed a drive-by ramming that knocked the tracker off balance, but ended up crashing and locking themselves inside Metroplex's voice control room. Guess they were really out of practice with their teamwork. Ghost in the Machine

Goldbug journeyed with Optimus Prime and the other survivors to Chaar in search of a heat-resistant alloy that could insulate Prime from the Hate Plague. However, infected Decepticon forces attacked and contaminated Goldbug as well. Goldbug and every other contaminated being were restored when Optimus Prime retrieved the Matrix and unleashed the remainder of its energy. The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2

Japanese cartoon continuity

The Headmasters cartoon

Goldbug and the Throttlebots appear a few times; their only real actions of note are attempting to deal with a strange metal-warping asteroid and being horribly twisted and warped by it. They were retrieved and repaired, and in the penultimate episode, the whole Throttlebots team tried to stop a Predaking bent on sinking ships and raiding villages, but were again defeated.

Legends anthology

Bumblebee, Spike, and Hound happened upon a badly damaged Starscream while out racing. Bumblebee convinced the others to bring Starscream back to the Ark for repairs, under the rationale that while Starscream wouldn't have done the same for them, they weren't Decepticons. Redemption Center

Hey, remember that time in the comics when a couple of guys stole Bumblebee? What if they were kind of jerks? What if Bumblebee decided to make them pee themselves? Joyride

Dreamwave Generation One comics

At the death of Sentinel Prime, Bumblebee was part of an Autobot unit defending Altihex from the Decepticons. Grimlock ordered him, Jazz, Prowl, and others to the ruins of Praxus, where Grimlock declared that if the new Prime was unable to lead successfully, they would take control of the war's leadership...and take out the Prime. Bumblebee was among the group that was present for the Matrix transfer ceremony, where Optronix became Optimus Prime. When a Decepticon assassination squad arrived and Optimus kicked some exhaust port, Bumblebee declared that he was "awesome". However, Prime then ordered the Autobots to prepare an evacuation of Cybertron. During Shockwave's attack on Iacon, Bumblebee manned a turret in the Decagon. Eventually, Prowl ordered the Autobots to take them on individually, and Bumblebee went out carrying a cannon that was as big as him. Bumblebee survived the destruction of Iacon, and Prime reversed his order of evacuation. The War Within

Someone has to pay for the little things.

Bumblebee was one of the Ark crew that crashed on Earth and awoke in 1984. During that time, he met Spike Witwicky, becoming close friends with the human. In 1999, the Autobots and humans allied and managed to capture the Decepticons, taking them in the Ark II back to Cybertron, along with seven humans, including Sparkplug Witwicky, Spike's father. However, the Ark II was sabotaged by rogue elements of the United States military (apparently as part of a plan by Shockwave). Prime Directive issue 1 The humans were all killed, but a number of Transformers, including Bumblebee, survived, but in stasis lock. Bumblebee's body was recovered by General Hallo and Adam Rook, but Rook stole Bumblebee and a number of other Transformers, selling them to various terrorists. Megatron broke free, and the Seekers, being dicks, disassembled and played with Bumblebee's various components. Prime Directive issue 3

Optimus Prime's team later rescued him and the remaining Autobots, and they were all put to work in combating Megatron's techno-virus. Prime Directive issue 5 Unfortunately, the Canadian military, skittish over the recent Transformer violence, attacked the Autobots. Despite this, Bumblebee tried to save as many of the soldiers as he could before the virus could kill them. Prime Directive issue 6

25 years before someone realized his toy has no face.

Bumblebee commanded the Autobot Shuttle Orion when the Combaticons and Starscream attacked the Ark on Earth Night of the Combaticons. The little ship managed to damage Bruticus significantly before the super-powerful zealot Sunstorm shorted out its engines and it crashed. Black Sunshine. After Jetfire sacrificed himself to stop Sunstorm, Bumblebee deserted the Autobot army (for no stated reason). He headed to Spike's house, but Spike, resentful of the death of Sparkplug, lashed out at him. Afterward, Spike finally realized he was harsh on his old friend, and the two went for a night on the town, where they stopped a mugging. Lost and Found

Note:The closure of Dreamwave means we will never know if Bumblebee returned to the Autobots or if he and Spike formed a crime-fighting duo.

Transformers/G.I. Joe

Bumblebee transformed into a WWII-era motorcycle with side-car. During their joint efforts to stop the Cobra/Decepticon axis of power he teamed with the G.I. Joe member Scarlett. Bumblebee felt they made a good team and she could ride him any time—how cheeky!

Presumably he shut down with the other Transformers when the Matrix was destroyed.

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

Bumblebee and Wheeljack were the only Transformers aboard the Ark to avoid capture and reprogramming by Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world. After disguising themselves as a Volkswagen Beetle and Lancia Stratos, respectively, the two tried to work out a way to free their comrades. They joined forces with G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe turned on them, Bumblebee and Wheeljack saved them anyway, Bumblebee beat up Storm Shadow's robotic armor, and they ultimately saved the Earth from nuclear holocaust. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

IDW Generation One comics

Note:IDW Bumblebee is as easygoing and daring as his incarnations in previous continuities; that positive nature is tempered, though, by a pragmatic streak not often seen in previous incarnations of the character; while their human allies explored the Decepticons' Nebraska bunker, Bumblebee commented to Ratchet that, given the need for evidence of unusual Decepticon activity, the humans would be "acceptable losses". However, this did not prevent him from leaping to the humans' aid as they attempted to exit the collapsing command bunker.

Bumblebee uses a "holomatter" avatar when in public to avoid looking like an unmanned vehicle, which has the appearance of a young human female. It is unknown whether he has a feminine voice (or can affect one) to match his avatar's appearance.

This section covers fiction that is ongoing. It will be added to as the story progresses. If it isn't current, you can help by updating it.

Bumblebee was part of Prowl's secret counter-infiltration unit on Earth. When Ratchet broke cover by rescuing a trio of humans, Bumblebee was the one Autobot who supported his efforts. He was true to his role as an espionage agent and ferreted out their plans to continue joint operations against orders and joined in. He accompanied Ratchet and the humans to investigate an abandoned Decepticon bunker in Nebraska. At the bunker, while the humans were inside, two Decepticons attacked, and Bumblebee managed to take down Skywarp, but not before Ratchet was shot and run over by Blitzwing. Infiltration issue 4

Bumblebee left the humans with Ratchet and traveled to Oregon, the location of the second Decepticon command bunker, observing the situation until the rest of the Autobot unit could arrive. After witnessing Megatron "disciplining" Starscream and subsequently downgrading the infiltration unit's status to Phase Two, Bumblebee departed Oregon with the rest of the unit. Infiltration issue 6

Bumblebee was tasked by Nightbeat to check the area surrounding their base for surveillance. He found a great deal of it, prompting the decision to relocate the Ark-19. He was aboard when the ship was shot down by Sixshot. Devastation issue 1 He survived but was injured in the subsequent battle with Sixshot. Devastation issue 4

Goldbug in IDW

Goldbug, a separate entity from Bumblebee, was commander of the Throttlebots, stationed at Orvus base to safe guard the research of an Autobot science lab on Salwatan VI. When the lab was destroyed by Sixshot, the Throttlebots fled with the data, tracking Cybertronian life signs to nearby Salwatan VIII in hopes of assistance. The planet appeared to be abandoned and the Throttlebots were left to fight the powerful Sixshot alone, during which Goldbug was shot almost clean through the torso. He survived the attack, barely, thanks to the efforts of Metroplex, who drove off Sixshot and provided energon to the damaged unit before departing. Spotlight: Metroplex

Hearts of Steel

In an alternate universe, the Transformers landed on Earth before the Ice Age, taking on the forms of dinosaurs and giant insects. When the climate became too cold for the war to continue, Bumblebee and the other Autobots entered into stasis lock to prevent further damage. Thousands of years later, Bumblebee awoke to the age of humans from the noise of John Henry's hammering. Bumblebee was impressed by the humans' industriousness, and disguised himself as a small steam locomotive with no control cab, and a built in steam-hammer for driving spikes. Hearts of Steel issue 1 Initially, 'Bee directly competed with steel-driving legend John Henry. After Bumblebee revealed himself in robot form to Henry, Henry set aside his mistrust of automation after realizing that Bumblebee was a living being (not just a machine) who wanted to put in a fair day's work. Hearts of Steel issue 2

Bumblebee woke several of his fellow Autobots, who soon discovered that the Decepticons were also active in this era. After taking on locomotive alt modes themselves, Hearts of Steel issue 3 Bumblebee, the Autobots, and their new human friends worked together to prevent the Decepticons' mighty Astrotrain from reaching New York City. With the Decepticons defeated, Bumblebee and the Autobots returned to their slumber. Hearts of Steel issue 4

Note:Bumblebee's pre-locomotive "Ice Age Wars" altmode appears to be a spiky dinosaur, possibly a gastonia. He also has a transitional body, while he is preparing to take on his locomotive form, which is similar to his dinosaur body, but with no spikes.

Descent into Evil

You know you want me, baby.

Having been on the trail of the Decepticon agent Flamewar for a long, long time, now-espionage director Bumblebee made his move, interrupting a supposedly-secure secret communication between Flamewar and the Tripredacus Council. He revealed that his agent, Ricochet had installed a degenerating virus into Deathsaurus'clone army. Oh, and that since the Autobots now knew Flamewar's whereabouts and who she was working for, the Tripredacus Council would certainly consider her a liability. Which they did. So they blew her ship up. Descent into Evil

Beast Wars cartoon

Bumblebee was one of the Autobots in the Ark before it crashed.

Notes

The original Bumblebee toy was taken from the Japanese Microchange line, where it was available in yellow, red, and blue versions.

Bumblebee appeared in one of five Generation Onepublic service announcements, informing children that they shouldn't run away from home because it's "mean". This from the guy who ditched the Autobots for no real reason.

When Bumblebee reappeared in the Marvel Comics as a Classic Pretender, he returned to his original toy's character model, rather than one based on his new form. A new character model did appear in various toy commercials, however. These included one which introduced him and the other Classic Pretenders, and one where he and Jazz stupidly drag Micromaster bases into Autobot headquarters, causing everyone to flee when they transform and attack.

Bumblebee/Goldbug was clearly a "top-tier" character in the first decade of Transformers: he was the only 1984 Autobot still shipping in 1986; he received more toys during Generation One than any other character; he had a toy shipping during seven of Generation One's eight-year run. However, Hasbro lost the right to use "Bumblebee" as a toy trademark during the Beast Wars and Beast Machines years, when Generation One names were in disuse. That's right, the name "Bumblebee" was lost during the years everyone turned into animals.

The ArmadaMini-Con, Sparkplug is pretty clearly an homage to Bumblebee, from the coloration, placement of car-parts in robot mode, segmented-pipe biceps and even the head design.

A character using Bumblebee's character model is shown in a still-shot flashback as a member of the Autobot group led by Rodimus in the Energon (franchise)cartoon. Whether this robot is an alternate-universe incarnation of Bumblebee or simply a similar-looking robot is—like all Unicron Trilogy character-model cameos—left to conjecture.